Junior Accountant- Hamilton

Junior Accountant - Hamilton

In this role, the Junior Accountant is the foundational support role within the company's finance department. While a Staff Accountant oversees the accuracy and analysis of the general ledger, the Junior Accountant is primarily responsible for the processing and clerical accuracy of daily transactions. This role is ideal for someone early in their accounting career who is looking to build strong technical skills and gain exposure to the full accounting cycle.

While automation handles many "data entry" tasks, the Junior Accountant now spends more time on data validation- checking that the AI and software have categorized things correctly. This makes attention to detail and critical thinking more important than ever.

Position Type: Full-time, permanent, in office. 
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Location: Hamilton, ON
Salary Range: $60,000-$65,000 per year (based on experience)

1. Transactional Processing (AP & AR & Payroll)

The "bread and butter" of the junior role is managing the flow of money in and out of the company. You will play a key role in keeping day-to-day operations running smoothly and accurately.

Accounts Payable (AP): Coding and entering vendor invoices, matching purchase orders to receipts, and preparing weekly payment runs (checks or EFTs).
Accounts Receivable (AR): Generating customer invoices, processing incoming payments (cash application), and following up on overdue accounts.
Expense Reports: Auditing employee travel and entertainment expenses to ensure they align with company policy. Flagging discrepancies or missing approvals when needed.
Payroll: Assisting with biweekly payroll processing, ensuring accurate hours, deductions, and timely submission.

2. Basic Reconciliations

You will handle the initial "matching" process to ensure internal records reflect real-world activity. This is a critical control step that helps maintain accurate financial records.

Bank & Credit Card Reconciliations: Matching bank statements to the company's internal ledger to identify missing receipts or bank fees.
Subsidiary Ledgers: Ensuring that the sub-ledgers (like the list of individual customer balances) match the total balance on the main General Ledger. Investigating and resolving differences in a timely manner.

3. Month-End Support

During the "close" period, the Junior Accountant acts as the primary assistant to the Staff or Senior Accountant. You will gain hands-on exposure to how financial statements are built and finalized.

Journal Entry Preparation: Posting routine entries for things like prepaid expenses, depreciation, or utility accruals.
Data Validation: Exporting data from accounting software (like NetSuite, Sage, or QuickBooks) into Excel to check for duplicates or errors. Documenting any corrections made.
Document Filing: Organizing and maintaining the digital "paper trail" (contracts, invoices, and tax forms) so they are ready for future audits. Ensuring files are labelled, stored, and easily retrievable.

4. Audit & Tax Assistance

This role also provides exposure to audit and compliance activities.

Sourcing Evidence: Pulling specific invoices or bank statements requested by external auditors.
Tax Documentation: Assisting in the preparation of sales tax returns by gathering state or provincial revenue data.
Asset Tracking: Physically tagging or logging new equipment/furniture for the company's fixed asset register. Updating asset records as items are moved or disposed of.

Necessary Skills for a Junior Accountant

Intermediate Excel: You must be comfortable with SUMIFS, VLOOKUPs, and Pivot Tables to organize data quickly. (XLOOKUP and basic Power Query knowledge are a strong asset.)
Accuracy: Since you are the first person to touch the data, a single typo can cause massive headaches during the month-end close. A strong sense of ownership is essential.
Curiosity: The best Junior Accountants don't just "plug in numbers"—they ask why a certain expense is categorized the way it is. This curiosity helps prevent errors and supports continuous improvement.

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